The Dead of Jura

The Dead of Jura will be the second novel in the Inspector Blue series. At the moment it’s going through a rigorous process of editing and revision.

Inspector Angus Blue is called to the island of Jura after a shooting is reported. Lord Steppingham, a junior Defence minister, has been shot by a sniper as he made for a helicopter at his estate on Jura. Blue, Sergeant McCader and a scene-of-crime team arrive on the island, only to find security personnel at the site less than willing to co-operate, especially Special Branch Chief Inspector Philip Ffox-Kaye, whose brief is to keep an eye on ‘national security’ aspects of the case.

Blue finds the crime scene has been tampered with. Lord Steppingham has been whisked away “for his own safety” and no witnesses will speak to him. There is more to this than meets the eye, and Ffox-Kaye has his own agenda, but Blue and his team will not be deterred. Forensic archaeologist Alison Hendrickx is brought in to help, and progress is made.

The action moves between Scotland, England, Ireland and Germany, as Blue and his team track down witnesses reluctant to speak, and a crime long since covered up.

Click here to read the first few pages of Draft 1 of The Dead of Jura.